


Soft Hush and Gentle Love

by Twilight_Shadow_Songs



Series: The Prison Drabbles AU [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M, but after they get out, cute fluffy pieces, set in the same universe as the prison
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:28:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26239390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twilight_Shadow_Songs/pseuds/Twilight_Shadow_Songs
Summary: Cale and Rubio, married and happy after the prison. small snapshots of their life.
Relationships: Rubio East/Cale Hex
Series: The Prison Drabbles AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1905916





	1. Gentle Morning Hello

Rubio woke up slowly from the sound of wind and seagulls and what he now knew was waves against their little houseboat, the sun coloring the sheets a soft peach and tan and soaking into his skin pleasantly. It was different from the prison, different from his birth land, too. The sun was bright and there was an ocean for one. No oceans where he was originally from.

Cale was at the desk, writing something.

Rubio watched him for several moments from their bed, feeling soft and warm. In the prison it’d been a little hard to remember Cale had apparently been a captain of a crew of very angry immortal men. But here, Rubio could see it. On the sea, Cale was in his element.

Cale’s thoughts flashed stark images of the Jolly Roger, the new captain Callum, and general ideas of cannon fire and rope knots and hooks. Sometimes, Rubio flashed through his mind, and Rubio smiled softly at Cale’s back. There was love, even when he was trying to be focused, love was in Cale’s thoughts.

Eventually Rubio’s soft admiration of his husband at the desk was ruined when Rubio, still getting used to all the salt in the air, sneezed and then groaned with a soft laughter. Cale turned to him, arms pressed against his knees as he raised an eyebrow at Rubio.

“Have you been awake long, love?” Cale’s voice was very gentle and fond. “I just needed to get a letter out, but I promise no more business related anything for the rest of the day. Just helping you get used to the boat more.” he meant it too, Rubio could hear it in his thoughts.

Rubio held a hand out to Cale from where he was laying. “Kiss me” He whispered, voice hoarse and thick still from sleep. “Silly little pirate.”

Cale complied, and he tasted like wind and saltwater and not for the first time Rubio realized this was his favorite flavors.


	2. Carnival Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cale takes Rubio to his first carnival

“Do you have carnivals in your reality?” Cale had felt the need to ask, and Rubio had looked at him with the grave seriousness someone attempting to keep in their excitement.

“No and this is why I want to go. What’s it like? A party, but…for no reason?”

Cale had to actually think about it. “S’ppose it’s a holdover from the harvest festivals and stuff, way back when. Mostly these are just a few days long, carnivals travel around. You can play games or look at art booths or get food or go on rides-I am telling you right now the tilt-a-whirl should be gone on an hour before you eat, because shit. You don’t wanna be like I was when I was nine and old enough to ride.”

Rubio had tried not to laugh. “You got motion sickness? You?” and Cale had affectionetly pushed him away before they gravitated back together while walking.

“Yes well, I was nine. I was little. I didn’t set foot on a boat till I was twelve, love. And tilt-a-whirls aren’t the ocean.” He said with a bit of a laugh, trying to be kind since Rubio had no reference and would probably be hurt if he wasn’t careful. Which was the absolute last thing he really wanted to do.

“Cale, I can read minds. I don’t get it but I know you’re not trying to make me feel bad.”

“Okay. I know-I-you know.” Rubio slotted his fingers between Cale’s while the continued walking.

“I know pirate boy, I know. Thank you.”

That night Cale bought tickets for the carnival for the next day, and they went.

Rubio, in equal turns, would move ahead, pull back to his side, and then dart to a booth to look at the toys and the games. Cale let Rubio lead him around, he wasn’t wearing a prosthetic that day since he wanted to ride the rides, so his right arm was generally slipped into a jean pocket. They were both wearing tank tops because of the heat, though Cale had opted for a pair of jeans and Rubio was in shorts.

“Babe, you need to drink water too.” Cale cautioned when they stopped for lunch. “I mean it, no pop. it’s 98 degrees fahrenheit and I’m not letting you get heat sick just because you have no chill.”

“I have chill!”

“You absolutely don’t.”

Rubio couldn’t keep an affronted face, he just started giggling around his fried turkey leg. “Okay, you’re right. I don’t.” Cale laughed with him. He’d gone for a corn dog, it being fairly simple to eat one handed. That was the problem with food when you wanted to walk around.

Later they wandered over to the rides proper once Rubio had his fill of looking at all the food and games and asking about them.

“That’s a tilt-a-whirl?”

“Mhm.”

“…I’d rather not.”

“That’s fine. Not everyone can handle them. I can barely handle them, and I like being on a mast rigging in the middle of storms.”

Rubio turned his head and pointed. “What’s that?”

“A carousel.”

“Can we go on it?”

“We need to get in line but sure!” Cale had many fond memories of riding on carousels. This one was a bunch of hand painted animals with hats, and Cale rather liked the look of the rooster. It had a pirate hat.

Rubio laughed and Cale stuck his tongue out at him. He was a man of simple joys and one of them was pirates. Obviously.

Rubio kept looking around at the different rides and asking about them (“that’s a roller coaster. A small one though. There’s bigger in other places.” “That’s a funhouse. We can do it next.” “Haunted house ride. Things jump out at you so I don’t know if you want to do it.” “Ferris wheel and yes, we’re going on it don’t worry”), practically jumping up and down.

“Seriously, don’t you have stuff like this?”

“I guess…in a sense, but I never actually had an opportunity to go. They’re all on the Ledge Lands, not in the Deep Forest.”

By evening Rubio was finally flagging and this was when Cale took him on the Ferris wheel. The lights on the other rides and the game places were lighting up as they got on the ride, and Rubio gasped and grabbed at Cale’s arm, wide eyed. He was trembling as he stared at everything. He had eyes for the carnival, Cale had eyes only for him.

There was cotton candy stuck to Rubios lips, a bag of it clutched tightly in Rubio’s right hand. His wedding band reflected the light from the rides as he leaned forward, transfixed. If Cale wasn’t in love with him before he was definitely in love now.

Cale took his hand in his and squeezed.

“Good day?”

He got a distracted little nod and a wet laugh. “Worth the people.”

Cale kissed his temple. “Good.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cale and Rubio get lost in Rubio's home. It's not the first time they've been here, but it is the first time they've gotten lost. During it, Cale sees a Deep God.

“We’re lost.” A simple but devastating sentance, especially coming from Rubio, in his own dimension and in the general vicinity of his own home.

“How are we lost?! You spent most of your life living in these branches!” Cale burst out incredulously. Rubio waved an absent finger at him.

“I can still lose my bearings. I’m going into the Lower Branches. I can figure out which area we are by what tries to eat me.”

“How exactly is baiting something to eat you a good thing? Speaking from experience because I’m still not allowed near the Croc on Neverland.” He’d wanted to kill it, but the “use myself as bait to gut it” had backfired spectacularly.

Rubio kissed his cheek quickly instead of answering and leapt over the side of the large branch they were standing on. Cale snorted. He wasn’t worried about Rubio not being able to safely break his fall. He was sort of good at that. Instead, Cale sat as near the edge of the branch as he dared and resigned himself to waiting. 

The forest, while not what he had ever imagined, had gone past being frightening to Cale. The groans and rustling wasn’t unlike a large living ship, if he closed his eyes. He’d told Rubio when he’d first seen it he felt like Tom Thumb or Thumbelina. Rubio had only laughed. Not unkindly, but now Cale knew why he liked that movie so much. 

The air was thick, and purer than in Cale’s dimension. The deeper Cale went, the more he struggled to breathe from the sheer amount of pure oxygen from the moss and trees. So they stayed in the Upper and Middle more, for him. Though Rubio seemed just fine in the Lower branches. 

Suddenly a sound like both cracking ice and humming happened, and Cale got up quickly, backing away from the edge. 

Something like a monkey, but eight eyed and large enough to make King Kong look like a tiny toy, stared at him as it came from the Lower Branches. Cale watched it, and the flora and fauna clinging to it, and then it was swinging slowly away with six arms. 

Rubio climbed back up not long after. He seemed pleased. 

“A Deep God just passed by and I know her.” He said, pleased. “We’re sixteen clicks from where my home is.” Rubio paused then and waited for Cale, who felt far away and much more humbled.

“That was a god?”

“Mhm”

“You eat those?”

“Not the ones that old but yes.”

“…I love you.”

Cale couldn’t describe why, but there was a rush of affection. Perhaps it was the idea of Rubio being that strong, that ballsy. Rubio took his hand.

“Come on Romeo, we’ve got a bit to go, now that I know where to head.”


	4. Rella Gets Adopted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rubio burns down a town out of some needing to protect the forest, and a girl goes to fight him.
> 
> She ends up adopted.
> 
> prompt by write-it-motherfuckers

Rella was knocked back but that wasn't her main concern. Her adversary had just said something incredibly surprising. "Wait you're.... _married?!_ "

Rubio raised his hands, annoyed. "Why is this such a shocking revelation for people?"

"I don't know? you're the bad guy maybe?"

She tried to wrap her head around this as he crossed his arms. "Does your partner know you...?"

"Yes. It's called open communication. You know. What one builds healthy relationships on?"

Rella stared at Rubio with a dumbfounded feeling, him looking suddenly rather amused. He held up a hand. “Before you ask, I met him in prison. He’s also a villain. I let him do his thing and he lets me do mine. When we need to.”

“I-where is he?”

Rubio hesitated, and sighed. “Let’s walk and talk. You can tell Laure you tried to talk me out of things.”

“You…you’re amicable with Laure?” Rella wasn’t entirely sure what to do with this information.

“My dear, Laure was at my wedding.” Rubio said calmly, matter of factly even, like it was common knowledge. “Come on, let’s walk. I should settle a few rumors. Really. Not married. It’s not like Cale hasn’t been here often enough….”

his voice slipped into a low mutter, and he turned from the interrupted fight and just began walking towards the other side of the tree-bridge. Rella jogged after. She’d taunted Rubio with being alone and friendless, but now she had a pretty good idea why he’d found this funny. Perhaps she should have let Laure finish explaining.

“Yes,” Rubio interrupted the thought calmly. “You really, really should have let them finish talking. Terrible manners in any case, what with you not being able to read minds. Bit like my husband, actually. So I’ll try to be good about talking.”

“O-kay,” Rella said, as she caught up. “So you have a husband,”

“Mhm”

“And he’s a bad guy like you.”

“And aware I eat Deep Gods, yes.”

“…And Laure was at your wedding.”

“Yes, it was rather last minute but I had to get a replacement for best man. I promised Laure I’d stay with Cale or in the Underlimbs of Grenal Wood if they filled in. And I think they had fun.”

“…But where’s this Cale?”

Rubio paused, turning to smile at her, dangerous and wild. He may have looked human, been effectively human, but she didn’t see a human in that moment. She saw a Deep God.

“There’s such a thing as alternate dimensions, darling girl. And Cale is currently in one we share. He’s…” He paused, trying to consider it. “It’s a holiday. But he got mad I keep reading his mind about the presents. So I’m waiting till he comes back and we can open presents together.”

“…this is ridiculous. So your brilliant idea was to immediately start hunting while you waited?”

“I’m hungry, and god flesh is so very, very sweet. Also burning down towns is just a hobby. That town was harming people anyway.”

“I lived there!”

“And now you don’t. consider yourself lucky.”

He rubbed the back of his neck as he turned to her.

“…would you like to see an ocean?”

“What’s an ocean?” she couldn’t help but ask. He grinned.

“Oh Cale’s going to love having you over at the houseboat. I’m telling him we adopted my new nemesis.”

“wait-”

“Too late! It’s done.” He laughed and waved her to follow again. “I’ll get in touch with Laure, let him know you’ll be spending the next week with me. You’re safe, Rella. And I promise, I won’t turn you into a villain or eat you. By the grounds, you’re pretty imaginative, aren’t you?”

She followed, verbally speechless as Rubio prattled, answering her mental questions and confusion happily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the prompt's exact wording was changed slightly to better fit the characters


End file.
